Feed distributor for crusher



A ril 14,- 1970 E. F. ROSSI 3,506,203

FEED DISTRIBUTOR FOR CRUSHER Filed Oct. 16. 1967 United States Patent 3,506,203 FEED DISTRIBUTOR FOR CRUSHER Eugene F. Rossi, Milwaukee, Wis., assignor to Allis- Chalmers Manufacturing Company, Milwaukee, Wis. Filed Oct. 16, 1967, Ser. No. 675,665 Int. Cl. B02c 23/02 U.S. Cl. 241202 3 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A feed distributor is shown mounted above a cone and annular crushing chamber of a gyratory crusher. The distributor has a feed chute supported for rotation about a vertical axis centrally located with regard to the annular crushing chamber. The chute projects radially outward and downward from a point where the chute intersects the vertical axis about which the chute rotates. A feed hopper is arranged over the chute and the hopper has a discharge opening coaxial with the vertical axis about which the chute rotates. A driving motor is connected to the chute to rotate the chute and turn the lower and discharge end of the chute in a horizontal annular path above the annular crushing chamber to discharge feed falling through the discharge opening of the hopper downwardly and outwardly from the lower end of the chute into and around the annular crushing chamber of the crusher.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Field of the invention This invention relates to rock crushing machines having a conical head and a surrounding shell that defines therebetween an annular crushing chamber, and in particular to such a machine having a feed distributor for evenly discharging feed to the annular crushing chamber.

Description of the prior art Crushers known to the prior art of the type referred to and including feed distributing devices, are of perhaps three types.

A first type involves transmitting the motion of a crushing cone, or the motion transmitted to a crushing cone, through gears or pulleys, to a feed distributor over the annular crushing chamber. By the selection of gear or pulley sizes and design of the gear train the feed distributor may be made to turn at a selected speed which may be considerably faster than the drive turns the cone or an eccentric bearing around the cone shaft. A feed distributor of this type is shown in U.S. Patent 475,330 of 1892. More modern versions of such a feed distributor are shown in, for example, U.S. Patent 2,621,860 of 1952 and U.S. Patent 2,917,247 of 1959.

A second type to appear in the prior art provides a feed distributing cone, pan or plate resiliently mounted above the crushing chamber and flexibly connected to the cone so the turning or gyrating motion of the cone causes the feed distributor to Wobble and this motion is utilized to distribute feed material around the annular crushing chamber. Such a feed distributor is shown in U.S. Patent 1,761,240 of 1930; U.S. 2,586,122 of 1952; and U.S. 2,656,120 of 1953.

Neither of the first two types to appear in the prior art had any provision for adjusting the speed of operation of the feed distributor while the crusher was in operation and independent of the rate of gyration or rotation of the crushing head. A third type then appeared in the prior art, having one or more drive motors separate and independent of the crusher drive. Thus the feed distributor of this type can be adjusted to operate at selected rates independent of the rate of gyration or rotation of the crusher head. Such a feed distributor is shown in U.S. Patent 2,737,289 of 1956 and U.S. 3,212,720 of 1965. In such machines force is applied to the feed material to move the feed in a generally horizontal plane to a location over the crushing chamber where gravity is relied upon to direct the material between the cone and the surrounding shell structure.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to provide a crusher with a new and improved feed distributor that directs a flow of feed material to move around a central vertical axis of an annular crushing chamber and radially outward on a downwardly inclined path directed at an entrance to an annular crushing chamber.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a crusher with a new and improved feed distributor that directs a flow of feed material around an annular crushing chamber and down an inclined path aimed at an entrance to the crushing chamber to minimize feed material impact with and ricochet from wall structure above the entrance to the crushing chamber.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a crusher with a new and improved feed distributor that directs a flow of feed material around an annular crushing chamber and down an inclined path aimed at an entrance to the crushing chamber and minimize the power required to turn the distributor.

According to preferred embodiments of the present invention, a feed distributor is centrally located over an annular crushing chamber defined between a conical crushing head and a surrounding shell structure of the crusher framework. The distributor includes a feed chute supported by the framework for rotation about a vertical axis located centrally of the annular crushing chamber and passing through the chute intermediate end portions of the chute. The chute has a material discharge end pro jecting radially outward and inclined with a downward slope from a point where the chute intersects the vertical axis about which the chute rotates. A feed hopper is supported by the framework above the chute. The hopper is provided with a downwardly directed discharge opening over the chute and coaxial with the vertical axis about which the chute rotates. The rotating chute is angled to direct a flow of feed material down the incline thereof and at the entrance to the annular crushing chamber.

Other features of the invention and how they have been attained will appear from the more detailed description of the invention shown in the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIG. 1 is a fragmentary side elevation, partly in section, of a gyratory crusher according to one embodiment of the present invention; and

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary side elevation in section showing another embodiment of the present invention.

3 DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Referring to FIG. 1, an upper portion of a gyratory crusher is shown comprising a framework 1 made up of a shell 2 and a spider 3. The spider 3 has a rim 4 secured to the top of shell 2 and radial arms 5 that support a hub bearing housing 6 centrally over the rim 4 and shell 2. A gyratable shaft 7 is fulcrumed in hub hearing housing 6. A conical crushing head 8 is mounted on shaft 7. An annular bowl 9 is arranged within shell 2 and the bowl 9 and crushing head 8 cooperate to define an annular crushing chamber 10 therebetween.

A feed distributor 11 in this embodiment of the present invention includes a base plate 12 which is mounted on top of hub 6 and attached thereto such as bolts 13 passing through plate 12 and a rim portion 14 of hub 6. A post 15 is attached, as by the weld 16, to the top surface of plate 12 and post 15 projects upwardly therefrom concentrically relative to shell 2. A feed chute 17 is mounted on post 15 to rotate about the central vertical axis of the post. The chute 17 is mounted on the post 15 by a journal 18 projecting downwardly from the lower side of the chute 17 intermediate the end portions of the chute. Roller bearings 19, 20 may be provided around the post 15 and within the journal 18. The upper edge 21 of the journal 18 is disposed to define an angled plane transverse to both the horizontal base plate 12 and the vertical post 15. The upper edge 21 of the journal 18 is attached, preferably by a weldment 22, to the lower side of chute 17 and therefore supports chute 17 in the angled plane of edge 21 to provide a downward incline terminating with a discharge lip 23. An annular drive pulley 24 is supported by chute 17 coaxial to post 15 and in a horizontal plane over chute 17. An edge on the opposite end of chute 17 from lip 23 is attached as by welding to pulley 24. A portion of pu'lley 24 oppositechute edge 25 is connected to the chute 17 by a pair of arms 26 (one of which may be seen in the sectional view represented by FIG. 1).

A feed hopper 30 is mounted over pulley 24 and chute 17 by portions of the framework 1 including an annular shell 31 mounted on and projecting upwardly of the rim 4 of spider 3. A plurality of vertical arms 32 are connected to the top of shell 31 and project upwardly therefrom. A plurality of radial arms 33 are connected to the tips of vertical arms 32 and feed hopper 30 to support hopper 30 over chute 17. Feed hopper 30 defines a downwardly directed discharge opening and spout 34 over chute 17 and coaxial with annular pu'lley 24 andpost 15.

A driving motor 40 is shown mounted on the feed hopper and radial arm assembly 30, 33, with a drive shaft 41 pointed downwardly. Electric cables 42 for supplying electric power to motor 40 may be strung beneath one of the radial arms 33 to protect the cables from falling rock spilling over or falling to land in hopper 30 from a conveyor 44. A drive pulley is mounted on shaft 41 and a belt 46 'drivingly connects drive pulley 45 to the annular pulley 24.

In the operation of an embodiment of the present invention such as has thus far been described, feed material to be crushed is delivered by feed conveyor 44 and dumped into feed hopper 30. The feed material delivered to hopper 30 drops through the discharge spout 34 to land on the upper surface of feed chute 17. Motor 40 turns drive shaft 41 and pulley 45 to transmit torque through belt 46 to rotate the annular pulley 24. As annular pulley 24 is turned the inclined feed chute 17 is rotated about post 15. The feed material dropping on the upper surface of chute 1'7 flows downwardly toward and over the discharge lip 23. The angle of the incline of chute 17 relative to vertical post 15 and the horizontal base plate 12 is selected to aim the material flowing from chute 17 at the entrance to crushing chamber 10, that is between hub 6 and rim 4 of the spider 3, where the material drops into cmshing chamber 10 with little material impacting with the annular shell 31 above the entrance to crushing chamber 10. The rotation of chute 17 about vertical post 15 provides an even distribution of feed material around annular crushing chamber 10. Since the feed material moves down an incline as it is propelled outwardly the force of gravity is thereby utilized and the power required to operate the apparatus is less than if the chute 17 were horizontal.

A second embodiment of the present invention is shown in FIG. 2. In this embodiment a chute 17a is rotatably mounted on a base plate 12a and a driving motor 40a is mounted on the base plate 12a beneath the chute 17a where it is completely shielded from falling stone. In this embodiment an assembly 50 is attached to base plate 12a, as by bolts 51. The assembly 50 has a lower bracket 52 and an upper housing 53 which may be fabricated as separate units and connected as by bolts 54. A post assembly 55 is attached to the bottom of chute 17a and includes a vertical member 56 connected to chute 17a, a plate 57 connected to member 56, a disk 58 connected to plate 57 and a journal 59 connected to disk 58. The post assembly 55 projects into the bearing housing 53 with roller bearings 60 provided between journal 59 of post assembly 55 and the bearing housing 53 of the assembly 50. A drive shaft 41a is keyed to journal 59 to turn journal 59 and connected parts of post assembly 55 relative to the stationary assembly 50. The operation of this embodiment to distribute feed material to a crushing chamber, such as shown at 10 in FIG. 1, is the same as has been described with reference to FIG. 1.

From the foregoing detailed description of the present invention, it has been shown how the objects of the invention have been attained in a preferred manner, However, modifications and equivalents of the disclosed concepts such as readily occur to those skilled in the art are intended to be included within the scope of this invention. For example, the motor driving the feed chute may be a fluid pressure operated motor such as the Orbit motor with a gerotor speed reducer marketed by the Char-Lynn Company of Eden Prairie, Minn., U.S.A. Such a motor has a fluid pressure inlet and outlet such as indicated as 61 and 62 on the motor 40a in FIG. 2. Fluid pressure lines for such a motor can be shielded from falling stone in the same manner as described with regard to the cable 42 in FIG. 1.

With the foregoing embodiments and modifications thereof mind, it is intended that the scope of the present invention be limited solely by the scope of the claims such as are or may hereafter be appended hereto.

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property or privilege is claimed are defined as follows:

1. In a crusher having a conical head arranged with the central axis thereof in a generally vertical position, a framework around and over the head, the framework including a spider having a centrally located hub into which the upper end of the head is journaled, and the framework also including portions projecting upwardly over the spider and including a feed hopper with a downwardly directed discharge spout supported in spaced relation above the spider hub; a feed distributor comprising: a feed chute mounted on top of said hub and beneath said spout for rotation about a vertical axis passing concentrically through the hub below said chute and the spout of said hopper above said chute, said chute projecting radially outward, away and downwardly from the axis about which it rotates; and a driving motor with a rotatable drive shaft, said motor being mounted on the framework in a fixed position with the drive shaft drivingly connected to the chute mounted on the hub of the spider.

2. In a crusher according to claim 1, the feed distributor being characterized by the driving motor being mounted on the feed hopper and the drive shaft thereof drivingly connected to the chute mounted on the hub of the spider beneath the feed hopper.

3. In a crusher according to claim 1, the feed distributor being characterized by the driving motor being mounted on top of the spider hub and beneath the chute mounted on top of the spider hub, and the drive shaft of the motor being drivingly connected to the chute mounted over the motor and on top of the spider hub.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS Smith 241202 Traylor 241202 Gruender 241-202 Roubal 241-202 Gasparac et a1. 241-202 Gasparac et a1 241202 10 GERALD A. DOST, Primary Examiner 

